“The families you least want to talk to are the most important people to talk to on a daily basis,” said Matthew J. Murer, chairman of Polsinelli's healthcare practice.

Lawsuits most often stem from a feeling that the facility was not listening, Murer said.

There are incremental steps in dealing with difficult families and residents, culminating in involuntary discharge. Having clear residency agreements is crucial in these circumstances, said Polsinelli shareholder Kathryn Stalmack.

Fecal transplants should be considered for patients with recurrent cases of Clostridium difficile whose symptoms cannot be addressed by antibiotics, the Infectious Diseases Society of America said in new guidelines published Thursday.

Lawmakers took a long-standing industry complaint to the Department of Health and Human Services this week, telling Secretary Alex Azar that Medicare and Medicaid favor opioid prescription over non-addictive alternatives for treating chronic pain.